In November 1947, people traveled to a farm outside Lexington, Kentucky, to say goodbye to a racehorse.
The animal lay in an enormous oak casket, surrounded by flowers. Some mourners leaned forward to touch him one last time.
His name was Man o' War, and he had been one of the most famous horses in American history.
Around 2,500 people came to pay their respects. Three days after his death, the horse received a funeral broadcast across the United States.
The Death of a Racing Legend
Man o' War died at Faraway Farm on November 1, 1947. He was 30 years old.
Known affectionately as “Big Red,” the chestnut Thoroughbred had retired from racing decades earlier.
His health had declined in the months before his death. According to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, he died after experiencing heart trouble.
Only weeks earlier, his longtime groom and companion, Will Harbut, had died on October 3.
Harbut had famously described Man o' War as the “mostest hoss there ever was.”
The two had been familiar figures to generations of visitors at Faraway Farm.
Why Was Man o' War So Famous?
Man o' War raced in 1919 and 1920, when Thoroughbred racing was a major American spectator sport.
He won 20 of his 21 races.
His only defeat came in the 1919 Sanford Memorial Stakes, when he finished second to a horse named Upset.
As a three-year-old, he won all 11 of his starts, including the Preakness and Belmont Stakes.
His performances established multiple American and world records.
Owner Samuel D. Riddle retired him from racing after the 1920 season.
Man o' War later became a successful breeding stallion, siring champions including 1937 Triple Crown winner War Admiral.
His fame endured long after his final race.
An Oak Casket Was Prepared for the Horse
Following his death, arrangements were made for an unusually elaborate farewell.
Accounts of the funeral describe Man o' War as among the first horses, and possibly the first, to be embalmed.
His body weighed approximately 1,300 pounds, requiring a team of men to move him from his stall.
He was placed in a large, specially constructed oak casket.
Its interior was lined with the black-and-yellow colors associated with Riddle's racing silks.
The casket was positioned in the aisle of the barn at Faraway Farm.
There, members of the public could come to see the horse one final time.
Thousands Came to Say Goodbye
Man o' War lay in state on November 3, 1947.
Visitors arrived at the farm to pay their respects.
Historical accounts estimate that around 2,500 people came to see him during the mourning period.
Some reached into the open casket and gently touched his body.
For many, it was a personal farewell to a horse they had followed for years.
During his retirement, Faraway Farm had attracted enormous crowds. Keeneland Library estimates that roughly 1.5 million people visited him across his years at stud.
His death brought many admirers back to the place where they had first encountered him.
A Funeral Broadcast Across America
Man o' War's funeral took place on November 4, 1947.
Hundreds gathered at Faraway Farm for the ceremony, while others followed through a national radio broadcast.
The service included nine eulogies.
Racetracks across the country observed the occasion, and flags were lowered in tribute.
The National Museum of Racing reports that an estimated 3,000 cavalry members in Japan also honored Man o' War.
At the Kentucky ceremony, buglers sounded “Taps,” the familiar military farewell.
The horse was buried in his old paddock at Faraway Farm.
His Memory Was Preserved in Bronze
A bronze statue by sculptor Herbert Haseltine was later placed above Man o' War's grave.
The sculpture depicted the powerful stallion in a proud standing pose.
In 1977, his remains and the statue were moved to the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington.
The site became a place where new generations could learn about the legendary horse.
His son War Admiral and other members of his equine family are also memorialized there.
The Horse Who Was Mourned Like a National Hero
Man o' War lived a very different life from most racehorses.
His accomplishments on the track made him famous, but his personality and the public's affection kept him in the national imagination for decades.
That connection explains why his death brought such an extraordinary response.
He was embalmed, placed in an oak casket, honored with eulogies and remembered in a nationwide broadcast.
For the thousands who came to Faraway Farm in November 1947, they were not simply saying goodbye to a racehorse. They were saying goodbye to a legend.
Historical note: Man o' War died November 1, lay in state November 3, and was buried November 4, 1947. Accounts describing 2,500 mourners refer to those who paid their respects around the funeral period, rather than a precise count of attendees at the burial.
Sources: National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame — Man o' War; Keeneland Library — Man o' War Receiving Visitors; EQUUS Magazine — Six Things You May Not Have Known About Man o' War; Man o' War at Faraway Farm — historical burial account; Kentucky Monthly — Keeping the Flame Alive.